Group Project Guidelines

The group research and presentation project is designed to provide each student with an opportunity to

• conduct formal research on a topic that relates to our class readings and discussions;
• become familiar with documenting varied sources of information;
• gain experience working as a member of a group with a common goal;
• practice speaking in front of others;
• think critically about your work as an individual and as a member of a team.

The group presentation must be 25 to 30 minutes long. Each member of the group must speak for 5 minutes. Try to plan the presentation so that it works as a single unit—and not simply 4 or 5 short presentations strung together. Remember, your task is to teach the class about your topic.

Be as creative as you like—and if you need a laptop or a projector, let me know in advance.

The written component of the project is small, consisting of:

• a list of references—works cited—for the group as a whole (Hint: Each member should keep track of his or her sources, and then all members should work together to compile the complete list.);
• a 2-page individual self assessment of the group’s performance and your part in the project. (Hint: How well did the group work together doing research? planning the presentation? communicating with other group members? giving the presentation? What were the strong points of your presentation? the weak points? Evaluate your participation in the group: what did you contribute? Did you do your fair share? Explain. What would you do differently next time? Why? Explain. You may attach your own notes and/or works cited to help illustrate your self-assessment.)

Online Group Workspace

Each group will be provided with their own section of this wiki, consisting of one or more editable pages and discussion boards. Use this space to work on your group works cited/references document collaboratively. Use the discussion board in your group's section to share contact information, coordinate meeting times, presentation strategies, etc. You may, of course, use other methods of digital communication to coordinate if your group decides to, such as Email, Google docs, skype/hangouts, etc.

To access your group's workspace, look at the top, right column on any wiki page, for a link saying "Group Workspace". Clicking that will bring you to your workspace hub, which in turn will link to your other pages and discussion boards. To edit a page in your group workspace, click the Edit button on any page. To add a new page, click the blue page icon:

If you have any trouble using your group workspace, check the Getting Wiki Help page

Group Project Assessment Rubric

Presentation

Group (25%):

• Introduces topic, explaining contexts and connections, and adequately covers the topic (i.e., explains all sides of the issue)
• Explains how the work being done—to end oppression and/or work for freedom—is important and why we should know about it
• Is well-organized
• Works well together, with smooth and logical transitions between individual presenters
• Is balanced—all members equally contribute
• Fulfills time requirements (each presenter leads for 5 minutes, and entire presentation does not exceed the time limit of 25 minutes (for 4-member group) or 30 minutes (for 5-member group).
• Engages the audience
• Is professional and interesting

Individual (35%):

• Demonstrates knowledge of topic based on scholarly research
• Documents sources
• Explains connections to group and to our class discussions and readings
• Is well-organized
• Clearly contributes to the group as a whole
• Speaks clearly
• Has the floor for five minutes
• Demonstrates preparedness
• Engages the audience
• Is professional and interesting

Written Component

Group Works Cited/References (10%):

• A single properly formatted works cited page for the entire presentation includes all sources of information for the presentation. Each group member should keep track of his or her sources, and then all members should work together to compile the complete list. This document counts as 10% of each group member’s individual grade, so work together to get it right!
• Please turn in one copy signed by all members of the group.

Individual Self-Assessment (15%):

• Write a 2-page individual self-assessment of the group’s performance and your part in the project. (Hint: How well did the group work together doing research? planning the presentation? communicating with other group members? giving the presentation? What were the strong points of your presentation? the weak points? Evaluate your participation in the group: what did you contribute? Did you do your fair share? Explain. What would you do differently next time? Why? Explain. You may attach your own notes, additional information, and/or works cited to help illustrate your self-assessment.)

Peer Review (15%):

• You will, for each of the presentations you observe, provide written feedback. Each response counts toward your project grade. I’ll provide guidelines.